The invention in particular concerns a compressor device of the type which consists of a compressor with an inlet and an outlet; a compressed air line which connects the outlet of the compressor to a user network; a drier which is incorporated in the above-mentioned compressed air line and which comprises at least two air receivers which are each provided with an intake and an output and which are filled with desiccant or drying agent, which air receivers work alternately, such that while one air receiver is drying the compressed gas, the other air receiver is regenerated; and a blow-off device to blow off at least a part of the gas compressed by the compressor when the compressor operates in no-load or partial load.
In full load operation, i.e. an operation whereby the compressor works at maximum output, this entire maximum output of compressed gas is sent at the outlet of the compressor through the regenerating air receiver so as to abstract moisture from the drying agent in said air receiver by making use of the heat of this compressed gas, and to thus regenerate the drying agent.
In partial load operation, however, i.e. when only a part of the compressed gas of the compressor is used, the excess output of the compressor is blown off into the atmosphere via a blow-off device at the outlet of the compressor.
In no-load operation, in other words when the compressed gas is not used, the entire output of the compressor is blown off into the atmosphere via the above-mentioned blow-off device.
A disadvantage of such known type of compressor device is that, in partial load operation, only a part of the available output of the compressor is used to regenerate the drying agent in the regenerating air receiver, which may lead to insufficient regeneration of the drying agent under certain circumstances.
This disadvantage is even bigger when the compressor device works in no-load operation, since the entire compressor output is then blown off and thus no output of compressed gas is available to regenerate the drying agent in the regenerating air receiver.
The invention aims to remedy the above-mentioned and other disadvantages by providing a compressor device whereby the entire compressor output is always used for regenerating the drying agent, irrespective of the consumption, and thus irrespective of whether the compressor device operates in full load, in partial load or in no-load.